Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo

The Precious Scroll of
Incense Mountain
Part 1
Anonymous
Preface to The Precious Scroll of Incense Mountain
On the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the second year of the
Chongning reign-period (1103), Chan master Puming of the Song
dynasty (960–1278) was sitting alone in meditation in the Penance
Hall at the Upper Tianzhu Monastery of Hangzhou. 1 In the light of
the full moon he suddenly saw an old monk, who said to him: ‘‘You
merely cultivate the Way of the Absolute Truth of the Unsurpassable
Vehicle, forging connection solely with [those persons] of superior
capacity. But how are you able to be of universal assistance?
You should practice preaching on behalf of the Buddha. When the
Three Vehicles are preached and glorified, and when the Sudden
and Gradual [approaches] are both practiced, one can widely deliver
sentient beings of the middle and lower [capacities]. 2 Only by
acting in this manner will you be able to repay the grace of the
Buddha!’’
The master asked the monk: ‘‘By what method should I deliver
the people?’’ The monk replied: ‘‘I notice that the people of this land
have a karmic affinity to the bodhisattva Guanshiyin. Tell them in
brief the outline of the career of the bodhisattva so it will circulate
throughout the world. The blessing of those who venerate her 3 and
recite her name will be unassailable.’’ This monk thereupon fully
expounded her origin, and once he had finished speaking, he disappeared.
Chan master Puming had heard it only once, but he fully
understood, and thereupon composed the scroll.
All of a sudden he saw the bodhisattva Guanshiyin, who personally
manifested her purple-gold form. Holding in her hands her
pure vase and willow wand, she appeared riding a cloud, and only
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